The snow has started, but the work continues. What do you do to continue the job in the cold?
I don’t like leaving my cordless tool batteries out in the truck in cold weather, so I pack them in an insulated foam cooler and bring them inside whenever possible. During days when working outside is unavoidable and I will need the batteries, I nuke a corn bag and toss it in the cooler. (My daughter makes the bags from scraps of material and feed corn; when heated, they stay warm for a fair amount of time.)
Prior to coldweather, I breakdown the table saw and miter saw, clean and lubricate with silicone spray. Cold seems to affect these tools, making them bind up. A little prevention keeps them working well, if not great.
Days when nail gun usage is required, I bring the guns inside and warm them up as much as possible prior to using them. Although oil may lubricate the o-rings, the cold will make them brittle. Warming them up gives the rubber a chance to thaw, making it more flexible. (A few minutes wait-less with a heat gun-is worth the price of the investment made.)
Buy cheap wind pants at Walmart for about 10-12 bucks. They make working outside much more comfortable.
Replies
I actually like the cold weather, I'll take it over the blistering heat any day. I've always been hard on tools so they get no special treatment from me. I keep an old microwave on sight so I can nuke something and have a hot lunch. I keep a lot of clothes in the truck so I have a lot of layers to choose from. I started wearing silk long underwear, it keeps you warm without sweating like a pig. I also like the wool army pants from the surplus stores, not only are they bombproof but they look good. Those little hand warmers are nice too, I used to think only wimps used them, but finally broke down and used them last winter. Stay warm and dry!
I agree with youuuuuuu. But frigid aint much better than Ridgid....lol.least from HD.
Right now I have 2' of snow piled on the framing job I'm doing here. A 32x32 garage deck 2nd fl and bigger on the attached additions not to mention about a foot of snow that blew into the first floor deck...oh joy.can't wait for tomorrow (Monday).
So much in disarray due to all the work I'm doing here so its hard to remember and spend the time it takes to rearange this all and bring in this and take out that....just do the best I can. After all its just my helper and me.
I shoulda covered the stack of wood but didn't,so more shoveling.no biggie on that one......just keep a lump hammer handy to break the frozen 2x's apart.
I wear my ski clothes.....The Chilie underware is expensive but so rocks....wool ski hat.....hood...gloves with a cpl a fingers cut offa them on the right hand glove.
Waterproof my Estwings.....hot coffee or chocolate in a thermos....and tunes...did I say tunes..gotta keep the spirits up ya know.
I'll be workin' outside the rest of this entire winter...cant wait to get to the roof framin' and wood shingling it...
Gotta get out my rock climbing gear and tie the ropes around the chimmney....and maybe even put the skis on when I finish the roof (JAckass?).
HAndwarmers like when yer skiing help in yer gloves and boots.......full ski face mask....
When I skied at Beaver Creek Co. years ago..I was going up the lift and watched some carps up on the roofs of condos they were building.....dressed and protected the way I describe workin' in full snowstorms
I'll let ya know how it goes here....should be a trip. After all I'm a right coaster.
Be warm and persevere
andyMy life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
i can relate brother, This past Jan.17 I started a big custom in the mountains 9 miles west of Boulder,Co. If it wasn't the wind ( got a set of mylar plans) it was the snow. The March blizzard dumped 5' at my jobsite, at least we didn't need a ladder to get on the roof. I bet we spent 5 days just shoveling snow, as for the material I didn't see most of it till the spring thaw. Started with a three man crew but lost a guy who couldn't deal with the cold. Ended up finishing the job with just myself and a helper. Its funny ya know as the job progressed I started to take it personally, I was going to finish that B**** no matter what the weather threw at me. This winter is shaping up to be a little warmer still outside but not in the mountains. Persevere.
Well, I deal with it by trying to plan and get thge outside things done while the weather is good, but as we all know, sometimes it doesn't work out that way! So, this year, I had to do a last minute addition and tried to squeeze it in. But I still have some outside work to go. But I have no jacket...some advice from you guys maybe?
It seems like Carhartt is the big player. I've researched it, and it looks like the Cordura Extreme jacket is a good way to go. But i'm sure you all have some opinions, right??Jake Gulick
[email protected]
CarriageHouse Design
Black Rock, CT
DW gave me a Carthartt coat last Christmas, came with a hood (snap on.) Nice and toasty. Wear it everywhere when the weather is disagreeable. I supplement it with a sweatshirt in the extreme cold, though, my ears can't stand the freezing wind any more. And like I said, wind pants, put them on and the legs warm right up.
Gotta admit I've seen those chemical hand warmer thingys and thought it was a gimmick. Might have to buy a couple and keep them handy.
I never met a tool I didn't like!
I agree with the wisdom of adding light weight long underwear. I'm in Florida, not quite so cold but when cold it's wet. I go with thin polypropylene versions. A set, top and bottom, rolls into a ball the size of a softball, weigh next to nothing, but adds ten or twenty degrees of warmth to whatever goes over top without stifling you when it gets a bit warmer as long as you can do a bit of venting.
I keep a set in the truck and break them out far more often than the thermometer would suggest. Spring and fall the temp can be in the 50s and I often have to work on damp ground or actually in water. Wet jeans are miserable. The poly bottoms worn under jeans makes things bearable by keeping the wet cotton off the skin. Much warmer, more comfortable and it stops the chafe of wet jeans on tender flesh.
What was taught in Cold Weather Engineering is that productivity drops 1% for every degree F below 60F. So productivity is at 40% at 0F. And reaches zero productivity at -40F. Which is about right. At -40, you're wokring full time to stay comfortable (or at least alive) and not getting any work done.
David
I hear the stuff about Cahorts (sp?)
But I need my Levis on with the Chilies under em...Same with the tops. Chilie tops and a cpl a shirts, sweater and my fur lined jeans jacket...I need to feel in my element no matter what the weather is....MAin thing is,,,,,,,hat, face mask and water resistant boots.... oh yeh.....gloves.....
Rock on my brothers.....nothin will stop us from building......cept no tunes,,,,,,,brrrr,,,,grrrr....smile!
Be warm in an igloo (or tipi) (pic soon to come)
andyMy life is my practice!
http://CLIFFORDRENOVATIONS.COM
Like someone else said, I'll take the cold before the heat. At least in D.C. it won't get to much of either.
I keep forgetting to bring in the glue to keep it from freezing, and try to stay ahead of the sun. When the sunrays hit the frozen ground(and melt the top half inch), it's slip-sliding away........(SIMON & Garf-funkle).
My old ford pu (ppiece of sh!t, all fords are), the parking brake would freeze, it wouldn't release,(driveway on hill), had to quick blast it with a torch( watch the gas tank, lol!)
And the cup of coffee that your wife builds will stick to your ribs.
Often tempted to to stop in for a cup....
Who ever invented work didn't know how to fish....
The temps have been diving here in Western NC. Below freezing for the last 5 days with snow and ice. I got a new pair of Ironclad Subzero gloves that I can actually get a nail outta the pouch and into the wood while wearing. Looking at some new boots cause I hate having frozen toes. I still catch myself daydreaming about being on some island though, banging nails in flip-flops.
I know what you all mean. Is got all the way down to 62 on Saturday. I was in the middle of trimming the palm trees by the pool and had to go back in the house and put a shirt on. Today isn't bad 72 degrees but when the sun get behind a cloud it drops to 68 in a hurry. Don't know how much more of this weather I can take.
Unrelated. Be real careful with the silicon spray. Don't use it anywhere near your vehicle particularly if it is running. Silicon spray, an amazingly small amount if sucked into the intake, will kill an oxygen sensor before you can utter your favorite epithet.
I also use silicon spray. Works great in a warm damp environment. Had a friend go through two sensors before he learned about the danger to his vehicle.